Web of Gray
by Adeline17
Summary: A new operative in Section creates more hidden agendas and secrets will Nikita be able to uncover them? Set during S2, it's technically AU because of an OC, but the other characters are similar to the series.
1. Charlotte

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

A/N: This is my first LFN fic, so hopefully it will be up to the standards of the others I've read out there. I also realize that the show's been off the air for a while, but I know that there are fellow fans out there that are still loyal like me. Anyhoo, happy reading and please review!

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**_WEB OF GRAY_**

* * *

**Prologue: Charlotte**

Nikita walked over to the briefing table and sat down next to Michael, Birkoff, and a young operative she had never seen before. The girl sat up straight, her back not touching the back of the chair. Her hair hung down to hair mid-back and was dark brown in color with the exception of natural red-gold highlights. Although the girl stared straight ahead, Nikita caught a glimpse of her chocolate brown eyes that were flecked with green and gold

Despite the icy Section demeanor the girl displayed, Nikita knew she could be not much more than sixteen. The gray pants and jade green top she wore presented an image of professionalism, but one thing gave her away. A bubblegum pink polish on the nails of her carefully folded hands betrayed her true age. Hoping for answers about the new operative, Nikita looked to Michael, but he just turned his gaze to the doorway through which Operations had just entered.

"The target is Anton Tannic." Operations pulled up the vid-screen. "He's an arms dealer who's been rapidly building his power base. Unfortunately Tannic knows he's a target and has been difficult to find. In four days, he will be at a club run by George Leitz in Berlin. Nikita and Charlotte will be inside, Michael will lead, and Birkoff will do Comm.," he turned to the two women, "You two will get your profiles from Madeline."

Operations turned off the screen and walked back towards the Perch. Charlotte was the first operative to rise from the briefing table and began walking toward Madeline's office without looking at Nikita, and Nikita followed, still curious about exactly who this girl was. They made their way to the office in silence. Once they reached their destination, Charlotte entered first sitting down in one of the two chairs across from Madeline and Nikita did the same.

"Leitz runs a talent agency out of Berlin," Madeline began, and Nikita raised an eyebrow and glanced at Charlotte. The girl did not acknowledge Nikita's look, leaving her to wonder if she understood the euphemism Madeline had used.

"Charlotte will play the fourteen year old client and Nikita will be her representative. Once Charlotte is inside she will confirm Tannic's location, and then Michael, who will be posing as a guest, will take care of things. Your clothes are over there and you leave in forty five minutes."

Charlotte stood up quickly, grabbed her clothes, and walked out of the office without saying a word. Nikita watched her go and turned to Madeline with a look of disgust. The older woman looked back at her evenly. "Yes, Nikita?"

"When did Section start using children for operatives?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Charlotte is sixteen and her involvement on this mission was entirely her choice."

"A choice?" Nikita snorted. "Since when does Section allow choices?"

"The situation with Charlotte is unique."

"Unique?"

"Yes."

"How old was she when she was brought in?"

"That will be all, Nikita." Madeline gave her a look that dared her to continue the line of questioning. Nikita rose from her chair and walked out as Madeline's calculating eyes followed her every move.

* * *

A/N: So are you intrigued? If so, please review. If not, please review. Also, future chapters will be much longer…thanks! 


	2. The Invisible Girl

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and I hope you like this one…happy reading!

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**Chapter One: The Invisible Girl**

"Who is it?"

Charlottes voice echoed through the speaker outside her room. She and Nikita had successfully completed their mission, although it was not without difficulty. Tannic was truly a disgusting man, but the team came in before anything terrible happened; Charlotte had survived, like she had been trained to do her entire life.

"Its Nikita."

"One second."

The lights on the door blinked and it slid open. Nikita stepped in the modern-styled room to find Charlotte seated at her desk.

"What's up?"

"How was your debrief?" Nikita sat down in the chair opposite of Charlotte. "It was your first, right?"

"Third actually." She glanced up from the computer screen for a moment, but looked down quickly. "The debrief went fine."

"Thats good."

Nikita watched her shut down her computer. The actual room reminded her vaguely of Birkoff's quarters, but Charlotte's seemed much less techno and a little more severe. It was very linear and simple with a contrast between light and dark. The only color in the room was provided by an herb garden on one wall and a visualization screen on the other that projected a constant movement of calming colors along with soft music.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I was in the middle of a game."

"What were you playing?"

"Chess." Charlotte typed a quick command into the keypad and the computer screen slid into the table. "So whats really up?"

"Im here to offer you a girls' night out of Section, are you interested?"

"And just what would this evening entail?"

"Movies and ice cream in my apartment."

"Sure, let me just tell…"

She was interrupted by the beeping panel on her desk. The word 'Comm.' appeared on the digital screen, and she tapped it lightly opening the channel.

"Yeah?"

"Hey Charlie." Birkoffs voice filtered into the room. "Madeline wants to see you in her office."

"Yeah, okay." Charlotte tapped the screen again, turning off the speaker.

"Charlie?" Nikita questioned.

"It's a nickname." She shrugged off the question and stepped over to the walk in closet at the corner of her room. "Madeline should only take a minute, so I'll grab some clothes and we can leave from there."

* * *

Charlotte walked into Madelines office and sat down. "You wanted to see me?"

"How was the mission?"

"Fine." She folded her hands in her lap. "You saw my debrief."

"The parameters put you in a difficult situation."

She matched her calm tone. "And the profile had Michael intervene in time."

"Nonetheless, it was a difficult mission for you."

"I knew that going in." Charlotte gave a half smile. "It was my choice – you made that abundantly clear."

"Nonetheless, it affected you, did it not?"

"Yes." She paused briefly. "It did, but it was nothing that I cannot put behind me."

"All right." Madeline accepted that as an answer. "What are your plans for this evening?"

"Im spending the night at Nikitas." Charlotte tried to gauge her reaction, but not surprisingly failed.

"You two became close on this mission."

"Relatively." She looked at Madeline whose eyes urged her to elaborate. "You know that I have had minimal contact with any other operatives in Section, and Nikita is nice. Will this be a problem?"

"You cannot…"

She cut her off: "I know – I never would."

"Very well then." She dismissed the young operative, who rose from her seat gracefully. "That will be all."

"Goodnight Madeline," Charlotte called over her shoulder as she joined Nikita, who was waiting in the hall with the duffle bag of the girl's belongings.

"Everything went well?" Nikita asked and the girl smiled. "You know, Charlotte, you are the only person I've bent here who can come out of that office with a grin."

"I've known Madeline for quite some time now." She shrugged. "I suppose I'm not scared of her – scratch that, she's terrifying – but I'm used to it."

"Interesting."

"Not really." She changed the subject. "Do you mind if we stop by Comm.?"

"Of course not," Nikita told her, actually interested in seeing her interact with the people of Section.

"Mo." She walked up behind the communications head. "Im going out tonight."

"Really?" He smirked. "I think that this is the first time you ever told me that."

"Jealous?"

"No, I just think it's about time."

"Oh shut-up." She rolled her eyes. "You barely leave yourself."

"But I do."

"Whatever."

"Just get out of here," he told her. "I'll see you tomorrow, after your lessons?"

"Of course." She smiled, returning to Nikita. "Lets go."

* * *

"Hello." Madeline looked up when Operations entered her office.

"Hello." He walked in and sat down opposite of her. "I read the report on the Tannic mission."

"Our teams performed well."

"Michael's stated that Charlotte's performance matched that of the older, more seasoned operatives. It's difficult to believe that this was only her second mission."

"Section trained her well."

"You trained her well." He watched her reaction. "You did good work with her."

"Thank you." She gave a smile that showed a bit more pride than her normal one.

"Is she in her room?"

"No, she went out with Nikita."

He raised an eyebrow at Madeline's response "Is that wise?"

"I believe it was." She paused. "They became close during the mission. If I were to forbid outside contact, Charlotte would rebel against the Section. She is a teenager, after all."

* * *

"This is it." Nikita opened the door to her apartment, allowing Charlotte to enter.

"It's nice." She surveyed her surroundings closely. The room was modern with clean lines and a distinct – somewhat funky – style.

"Thanks." She watched her take in the room. "You're staring."

"Sorry," she smiled, "It's just that you can tell a lot about someone from where they live."

"And what does my place say about me?"

"Nothing I didn't already know," Charlotte leaned against the counter casually, "So what's your plan for tonight?"

"I figured take-out would be best, unless you want to cook?"

"Well, I do have had extensive training." She smirked. "But I'm not really in the mood, so take out will have to do."

"What do you like, pizza, Chinese?"

"Thai?"

"Sounds good to me." She excused herself to make the call. "It will be here in 20 minutes."

"Good."

"So, can you really cook?"

"Yeah." She crossed the room to sit in one of the armchairs. "It's one of my passions."

"And you've been trained?"

"Yes."

"By whom?" Nikita sat down opposite of her.

"Section."

"That doesn't seem like a standard training protocol."

She cracked a smile. "It's not."

"You sure?" Nikita joked back. "I could have sworn that after self defense and munitions, came the lessons on dicing tomatoes and mincing onions."

"Don't forget the proper methods of carving a turkey."

"Now that actually sounds like Section." Nikita smiled when Charlotte gave a girlish giggle.

She noticed Nikita watching her. "What?"

"I was beginning to think that you never laughed."

"Well, I guess I just proved you wrong." She smirked.

"That you did." She paused briefly. "Charlie."

"Don't call me Charlie."

"Birkoff can, but I can't?"

"I've known Birkoff longer than I've known you," she answered simply, ignoring the fact that both Operations and Madeline despised the nickname. "Besides, Charlotte is more professional. How would you like it if everyone called you Niki?"

"All right, Charlotte." She gave her an amused smile. "Do you have a last name?"

"Do you?"

"No."

"So you're just Niktia?" Charlotte got a nod for a reply. "Why can't I just be Charlotte?"

"Because I think you have a last name."

"Sabler."

"Charlotte Sabler – nice." She put the two names together. "So, how long have you known Birkoff?"

"Long enough."

"Well, you have the patented Section response down, so that means you've been there at least a few of years." Nikita deduced getting her a glare in response. "And that steely glare of yours is freakishly Madeline."

"I've known Birkoff for as long as I can remember," she admitted, not wanting the discussion to settle on her similarities to Madeline.

"Did you know each other before…" she trailed off as it hit her. "You've been inside your entire life?"

"Yes."

"That's insane." She shook her head. "I can't believe Section would take a child."

"It wasn't like that," Charlotte said quickly.

"Then what was it?"

"My parents were operatives."

"Both of them?"

"Yes."

"I thought personal relationships among operatives were frowned upon."

"They are." Charlotte paused. "But my parents were very good at hiding their relationship – until my mother was 7 months pregnant with me."

"She wasn't cancelled? I mean – I'm sorry, I…"

"It's all right," she responded with a detached maturity. Taking on the disconnected tone was easy. After all, the story she was about to tell was a mix of truths and lies. Her entry into Section was extremely classified – only three people knew the full story. "I have been told that my parents were high level operatives and that exceptions were made. We lived on the outside, but during the days I couldn't go to regular school because I had no real birth certificate."

"So you never existed?"

"Technically no – outside of the Section I'm invisible." She shrugged. "I was at a Section controlled daycare of sorts and at nights when there was a mission I had a nanny. When I was seven my father died during a mission, that's when Section became my home."

"What about your mother?"

"She died during childbirth."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right," she repeated herself.

"So you met Birkoff during that 'daycare' thing?" Nikita changed the subject.

"We didn't have neighbors or at least any that I was allowed to play with," she explained. "I was three when I met him, and we became fast friends, even though he was over twice my age. Apparently I was gifted, so I guess age did not matter. Although, I could not for the life of me say 'Seymour'. I had a problem with my pronunciation, so I called him 'Mo' – I still do."

"That's adorable."

"Which is on of the key qualities of a good operative, right?" Her voice was completely serious.

"Right." Nikita tried to remain serious but could not hide her laugh completely.

"What?" She grinned but kept her tone professional. "I know that's what I think when I see Michael."

"I'm sure." She stood up to answer the knock at the door and returned with the food. "This looks good."

Charlotte helped her unload it from the bag. "Smell's good."

"So what did you and Birkoff learn during those lessons?" she asked once they had food on their plates.

"You ask a lot of questions."

"So?"

"Why?"

"Because I like answers."

She took a bite with her chopsticks. "Oh."

"Will you give me some?"

"Will you?"

"What do you want to know?" she challenged. "You want to here how I got into Section?"

"I already know."

"You do?" Nikita was genuinely surprised.

"I'm a Level 2 operative," she told her nonchalantly. "I had access to your file before our mission."

"Level 2?" She took a drink of water. "You're 8 years younger than me and you outrank me."

"Birkoff outranks both of us," Charlotte smiled. "He's Level 4."

"Still." She shook her head in disbelief. "What did those lessons teach you?"

"General academic knowledge and skills we would need." She shrugged. "His were technical – they gave him codes, he cracked them – that kind of thing. Pretty soon he was making them himself."

"What about you?" Nikita took a bite of food. 'What were you taught?"

"Combat, marksmanship, and standard operative skills. Plus there were languages, logic, profiling – the mental aspect of the job."

"And they started all of this when you were young?"

"The languages and logic puzzles started immediately, but everything else was gradual – martial arts and gymnastics became combat and defensive skills as I progressed."

"Interesting."

"Now can we please stop discussing Section?" she begged with a dramatic emphasis. "I thought the point of tonight was to have a girl's night out?"

"Yes, sorry." She laughed. "Nice weather we're having, isn't it?"

"Weather?" Charlotte shook her head. "That's the best you could come up with? My best friend may be Birkoff, but even I could have found a better topic."

"Sorry. You pick a topic."

"Did you know that more people are killed annually by donkeys then in air crashes?"

"No, I didn't," she answered seriously, and then laughed. "That was terrible! I can't believe you mocked my weather comment."

"Okay, I have another one." She smiled. "If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?"

"What would you choose?"

"Popcorn."

"Popcorn?"

"Yes, and not the fresh popped kind – I mean the microwave kind." She bit her lip a bit sheepishly. "It's awful really, especially with how well I cook, but I just love it."

"For me it's French Fries. When I was a kid, I would scrounge up whatever money I could find and sneak off to get them from McDonald's."

"Can you believe that the first time I ever went to McDonald's wasn't until I was ten years old?"

"Really?" she was grateful for the distraction from thinking about her past.

"It was my tenth birthday, and I had been watching too many sappy sitcoms so I told Mo that I wanted a 'normal' birthday." She remembered with a smile. "We were never supposed to leave the Section, but I must have whined enough to convince him to make a daring escape with me."

"How did you leave without anyone noticing?"

"We had the day off from lessons in honor of my birthday, and he put in a temporary feed of us watching a movie into the Section surveillance system."

"Did you two do that kind of thing often?"

"Only occasionally." She shrugged. "I would have liked to do it more, but Mo was always the voice of reason. Or he was just less willing to risk punishment in the name of mischief." She shook her head. "Anyway, we left Section and he took me to this old theatre where they were playing _La Belle et la Bête_."

"_Beauty and the Beast_?" Nikita translated.

"Yes, but not the cartoon Disney version. This version is based on the darker folklore," she continued. "Afterwards he offered to take me to any restaurant I wanted and I chose McDonald's."

"Did you return to Section after that?" She was completely amused by the image of a young Birkoff and Charlotte watching a movie in an old French cinema followed by fast food.

"Yes, but we had an escort."

"Escort? Were you caught?"

"No one had noticed the feed, until Madeline physically dropped by the room and saw the absence. The minute she walked into the restaurant we knew we were busted."

"What did she do?"

"Well, she was pissed as hell, but being Madeline she didn't show it." She rolled her eyes with the pent up frustration she remembered from that day. "She ordered food and sat down at a table across the room. Never once did she make eye contact with either of us. When she finished her food, we followed her out of the restaurant, and she opened the backseat door of her car and we got in. That ride back to Section was the longest of my life."

"What happened when you got back to Section?"

"Nothing." She shook her head. "Madeline told us to go to our rooms, so we did. She never spoke of it again."

"You got lucky."

"Well, yeah, I guess." Charlotte chuckled. "But do you have any idea how terrified we were that she was just waiting for the best time to use it against us."

"Did she ever?"

"No, but who knows? I could walk into Section tomorrow, see a McDonald's bag and then I'll know my cancellation is imminent." She groaned at herself. "Sorry, that was a terrible comment. I really should learn to sensor that kind of thing."

Nikita laughed. "Maybe just a little."

"You like the Bangles?" She changed the subject when the music switched to the next song on the play list.

"Well, sort of – mainly just this song."

"_Foreign types with the hookah pipes say ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh_," Charlotte immediately sang along.

"_Walk like an Egyptian_," Nikita joined in pulling Charlotte up to dance with the music. They danced and sang to the entire song and collapsed onto the arm chair into a fit of giggles. It felt good to laugh, for both of them.

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think….I love the feedback!


	3. A Little Too Jailbait

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

A/N: I know it's been a while and I'm not sure there's any interest, but I had it in my head and figured why not put it up here…enjoy!

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**Chapter 2: A Little Too Jailbait**

"Boo!"

Birkoff looked up to see Charlotte standing in front of his station.

"Scary," he quipped sarcastically.

"You can't even feign it to indulge me?" She smiled as she sat down next to him.

"Not any more." He typed a few commands on his keyboard and turned to face her. "You're all grown-up and going on missions now; you don't need me to indulge you. "

"You forgot that I'm not stuck on Level 6 all day."

"Where were you all day today?"

"Level 6."

"Some change."

"But I'm not banned from virtually every other level, which means…"

He cut her off. "You can harass me at all hours of the day?"

"Precisely." She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a self-satisfied grin.

"Maybe I should ask Madeline to restrict your access."

"And maybe I'll never speak to you again."

"Really?" He sounded hopeful.

She narrowed her eyes at his expression. "I won't cook either."

"You can harass me."

"Thanks." Charlotte stood up from her seat. "I'll see you tonight – after the Balkans mission wraps up?"

"Yeah."

"Super."

"What are you doing for the rest of the day?"

"I have lessons in twenty, but I think I'm going to 'harass' Walter first."

"Have fun."

"I always do!"

She walked away, winking at him over her shoulder. From Comm., Charlotte made a beeline for Munitions, ignoring the other operatives that stared at her. Even though Charlotte had been in Section longer than most other operatives, she was still the 'new guy' to a lot of them.

"Hey Walter."

"Hey Princess."

"Need any help with anything?"

He gestured at the weapons on the table in front of him. "I'm just stripping these down. You can help if you're careful."

"I know how to handle a gun." She began working. "I'm not a little kid."

"In most cultures you're still a child."

"And in some cultures, I'd be married with three kids of my own by now. From some perspectives, I'm lucky."

"Interesting logic."

"Well, you know what they say: When life hands you lemons…"

"Make lemonade."

"And poison it," she added with a smirk.

Walter shook his head and gave her a wry smile. "Always the pragmatist."

"It's much more practical than optimism." They worked in silence for a few minutes before Charlotte said, "You don't approve."

"Of what, Princess?" he asked without looking up.

"Of me being on active mission status."

He looked up to find her staring at him. "What makes you say that?"

"You're not denying it."

"You're very good at that," he said, referring to her piercing gaze.

"Thank you." Her expression didn't change, and his compliment failed to distract her.

"It's not safe," he told her honestly.

"Nothing's safe."

"There are safer options."

"Like what, perpetual lessons?" She asked. "It's not safe to remain static – I need to advance."

"Just be careful, Princess."

She gave him a small smile. "I always am."

* * *

A few days later, Charlotte gathered with Michael, Nikita, and a few other operatives around the briefing table as Operations gave them a run-down of their next mission. This was part of the cycle of section: gathering together to learn who they were going to capture or kill. It was a morbid way to live, but it was so ingrained to Charlotte that it was almost comforting to receive orders and obtain an objective by fulfilling a mission.

* * *

"Are you ready?"

Madeline's voice came from the opposite side of the screen where Charlotte was changing into her clothes for the mission. Their target was an international mercenary who had been having an online relationship with what he believed to be a thirteen-year-old girl. It was actually a program set up by Birkoff, but now Charlotte would be the bait for a meeting so that Nikita and Michael could sweep in and bring in their target.

"One second."

She slipped a burgundy blazer over the tailored white shirt that went with the plaid red and gray skirt of a parochial school. She stepped into the main portion of the room so Madeline could examine her appearance.

"What do you think?"

"Hmm."

"A little too jailbait?"

"Yes." Madeline nodded. "Although I would have chosen a different adjective."

She ignored Madeline's attempt to correct her. "I think it's the hair."

Charlotte released her hair from the claw-like clip that had been holding it up and sat down at the small vanity. She picked up a brush and began fixing her hair.

"Let me."

Madeline took the brush from her hand.

"Sure."

Watching her through the mirror, Charlotte studied Madeline without making eye contact. The oddity of the situation was not lost on either of them. The simple act of Madeline' braiding her hair was ridiculously normal; on the outside people would assume they were mother and daughter – not executive strategist and undercover operative.

"There." Madeline patted the completed braid and stepped back.

Much better." Charlotte stood up slowly and headed to the door. "Now I look fourteen."

"Don't forget your books." Madeline held up a leather shoulder bag.

"Thanks." She took the bag. "Now I better go before you tell me to listen to my teacher and play nice with the other kids."

* * *

"Now don't you look cute," Nikita said when Charlotte walked into Van Access. The team was dressed in mission blacks, so Charlotte's school uniform sharply contrasted with the rest of them.

"I'm an operative." She folded her arms. "I'm not cute; I'm lethal."

"You're both."

"Thanks, Nikita." She pulled a pair of sunglasses from her bag and slipped them on. "Let's just do this."

"Of course." Nikita pulled down her own shades and they climbed into the van.

* * *

"Madeline."

Operations walked into her office to find her tending to her plants

"Yes?"

He stepped further into her office. "They retrieved Herrick without incident."

"I saw it on my screen." She glanced briefly at her desk, but returned to her attention to the plants.

"He'll be here within the hour."

"Good."

"Is everything all right?"

"There was a moment earlier." She paused before continuing. "I braided her hair and when she left, I had to remind her to take her books." Madeline shook her head. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing."

"It has to be," she said sadly.

"All right."

They shared a knowing look. He did not completely agree with her on how she handled Charlotte, but Operations trusted her instincts.

"Once the Denmark team gets back, we will have nothing that needs your immediate attention; you should take a couple of hours for dinner."

"I think I will." She smiled, knowing he wanted her to eat with Charlotte. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think….I love the feedback!


	4. It is

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

A/N: Thanks for those of you who did review and anyone who read…I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3: It Is…**

"This is very good," Madeline told Charlotte between bites of the stir fry the teenager had prepared. It was the evening following the Herrick mission and the two were having dinner together in Charlotte's quarters as Operations had suggested. "Is it one of your own recipes?"

"Thank you, and yes." She took a sip of her drink. "I threw it together from what I had on hand. I was actually worried it would be a disaster."

"I doubt that. I am sure you could salvage it."

"Probably." Charlotte smiled. "If not, I could always call Christopher and beg him to prepare something."

"It's always wise to have an alternate plan."

"Yes, it is."

As they ate, they fell into a silence that an outsider would perceive as awkward. In reality, it was just a rhythm of the relationship between the two of them. Madeline and Charlotte didn't frequently dine together, but they had spent enough time together over the years that there was no need to fill silence with idle chatter.

After a few minutes, Madeline broke the silence. "What does Ramsey have you working on this week?"

Ramsey was the operative in charge of Charlotte's academic lessons. Although she never attended a traditional school, Charlotte was tutored in a variety of subjects to balance the technical training she received through Section – currently she was on Russian Literature, untranslated of course. "I just finished reading Zamyatin's We and am working on an comparative essay with other works."

"Is 1984 one of them?" Madeline guessed, knowing that We shared many themes on state power and cultural conditioning with Orwell's classic anti-utopian novel.

"We discussed that, but I chose to look at the influence of Tergenev's Fathers and Sons and Dostoevsky's 'The Grand Inquisitor' and The Brothers Karamazov on Zamyatin's work."

"What conclusions have you drawn so far?"

"I'm not quite at that stage yet," Charlotte admitted. "But I am looking at the role of passion versus complacency and the impact of free will on society and the governing body."

"It sounds interesting. I look forward to reading the final paper."

"I'll be sure to send you a copy," Charlotte said, even though she knew that Madeline received all of her work through Ramsey's debrief. Although Madeline was removed from this aspect of her tutelage, Charlotte knew that Madeline influenced her readings – everything she studied somehow related back to Section and its role in the global community.

They finished their meal and Charlotte was about to offer Madeline some dessert – a carrot cake she had made a couple days before – when the panel on the table began beeping. After Charlotte punched in a code, a small screen rose up from the table and revealed Nikita waiting outside the door. With Madeline's nod of assent, Charlotte pressed the button that allowed the door to slide open.

"Hi," Charlotte greeted with a smile.

"Hey Charlotte," Nikita said as she walked in. When she saw Madeline seated at the table, she added hastily, "Hello Madeline."

"Hello Nikita," Madeline greeted calmly. She set her napkin on the table and stood up. "Thank you for dinner, Charlotte."

Charlotte stood up as well. "You're welcome."

"I'll see you tomorrow – 6 AM."

"6 AM," the young operative confirmed professionally. "Have a good evening."

"You too," Madeline said, and then looked at Nikita. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Nikita waited until Madeline had left until she asked Charlotte, "Is that normal?"

"What?"

"Madeline – in your quarters."

"I guess." Charlotte shrugged as she began clearing the table. "It's not like she's in here all the time, but we have dinner every now and then."

"What do you talk about?"

"Stuff."

Nikita grabbed the glasses that were left on the table and followed Charlotte into the surprisingly roomy kitchen that was attached to her quarters. "What kind of stuff?"

"The latest gossip around Section – you know, who's hooking up with whom," she said casually, as she placed the dishes in the sink."

"What?" Nikita stood frozen in place and Charlotte had to forcibly take the glasses out of her hands and place them in the sink. "You're kidding."

"Of course I am." Charlotte snickered. "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet."

She gestured at the frying pan on the stove. "Want stir fry?"

"Sure," Nikita didn't fall for Charlotte's attempt to change the subject. "So what do you talk about?"

Charlotte turned on the stove and began stirring the semi-warm ingredients. "Current events, my studies – nothing that scintillating."

Nikita leaned against the counter and watched Charlotte for a few minutes before saying. "I still think it's weird."

"It's really more of a practicality. Until recently, I wasn't cleared to interact with most operatives, so Madeline would eat with me occasionally, so I could develop social skills," she explained as she transferred the stir fry onto a plate with some rice. "Plus, I'm one hell of a cook."

"Really?"

She set the plate down in front of her. "Try it."

Nikita took a bit. "This is good – really good."

"See." Charlotte smiled confidently. "Just wait until you get to dessert."

* * *

With her head supported by pillows, Charlotte sat in her bed with her eyes closed. The last thirty-six hours had been interesting to say the least. She had a training session with Madeline – in the White Room. This wasn't a frequent aspect of her lessons at Section, but it was a necessary one. And no matter how much it may bother her, Charlotte understood the necessity. Nevertheless, Charlotte was thrilled when she woke up in Medical and Madeline told her that she had completed the exercise and exceeded her expectations – most importantly, she was finished with this aspect of training.

Even now, as she laid alone her in her room, too tired to lift her head from the pillows, Charlotte was happy. She had surprised Madeline with her fortitude and Charlotte felt proud of that accomplishment. Besides, she didn't feel that terrible – between the meds she was given and the IV with saline that Medical had insisted she have back in her room – Charlotte merely felt exhausted and that was a small price to pay considering what was at stake.

The small panel on her nightstand beeped, letting Charlotte know that someone was at the door. Knowing it was someone with her lunch, she keyed in the code that allowed the door to slide open. She was surprised to see Nikita walk in carrying the tray of food.

"Hey Nikita." Charlotte struggled to sit up straighter. She managed to raise her shoulders a few inches and decided that was good enough. Pointing at the nightstand, she continued, "You can just set that there."

"Sure." Nikita set down the tray and sat on the edge of the bed. "What happened?"

"Nothing – I'm fine."

"You have an IV."

"I got sick –flu or something." She shrugged her shoulders slightly. "The IV is just a precaution – Medical's concerned about dehydration."

"You got dehydrated in the first 24 hours?" Nikita asked, sounding skeptical.

"Yes."

"So you started feeling sick after I left last night?"

"The next day."

"Before or after your meeting with Madeline?"

"How did you know about that?"

"Before Madeline left, she mentioned it."

"Oh, okay." Charlotte swallowed, wondering where Nikita was going with this line of questioning. "Before – we rescheduled."

"Then what was Madeline doing all morning?"

"What?"

"She was unavailable all day."

"What does that have to do with me? Madeline doesn't run her schedule by me."

"I'm just curious about what you're not telling me."

Nikita reached forward and touched her friend's forehead, expecting to find it warm. Charlotte jerked back in response.

"What the hell?" Charlotte said with a glare.

"You're not feverish."

"Yeah, my fever broke."

"Yet your still on an IV." Nikita shook her head. "Something about this doesn't add up."

"I have a virus."

Her eyes narrowed in on Charlotte's forearms, which showed faint ligature marks on her wrists, but she didn't say anything about them. "So you spent all day in your quarters?"

"Yes."

"You never left?"

"Other than a couple of hours in Medical, no."

"Then what happened to your wrists?"

Charlotte looked down at the marks and closed her eyes. She should have realized what Nikita was doing before the older operative trapped her in a corner, but Charlotte was too exhausted to anticipate it. She also knew that damage control was necessary but she didn't feel like strategizing at the moment, so she asked simply, "What do you want me to say?"

"I want the truth, Charlotte. Where you on a mission?"

"No."

"Then this happened in Section."

"Yes," Charlotte said evenly. "It was resistance training."

"With Madeline."

"Yes."

"In the White Room?" Nikita got no response from Charlotte, which she took as a yes. "What did she do to you?"

"That doesn't matter."

"So you're lying in bed with an IV in your arm for something that doesn't matter?"

"I'm in this bed as an unfortunate side effect of necessary training."

"Necessary?" Nikita couldn't keep the outrage from her voice. "You're sixteen, Charlotte, you're still a child."

"Exactly." Charlotte folded her arms, refusing to wince at the pain it caused her. "I'm sixteen, which makes me a target on every mission in which I participate. People assume that because of my age I'm more likely to break. I need to be prepared to handle that."

Nikita shook her head, not believing what Charlotte was saying. It was one thing for Section to train their operatives in combat, but torturing them to build up a tolerance to pane was inhumane. She was about to speak her mind when Charlotte spoke first.

"I'm tired, Nikita," she said honestly. "Could we finish this discussion later?"

"Sure." Nikita stood up and headed for the door. "Enjoy your lunch."

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think….I love the feedback!


	5. What it Is

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

* * *

**Chapter 4: …What It Is**

"Yes, Nikita?" Madeline said, when Nikita stepped into her office. She had one active mission and another one about to go live, so she really did not have time for whatever was bothering Nikita at the moment.

"I saw Charlotte."

After a few quick keystrokes, Madeline paused what she was doing so that she could deal with Nikita – the missions would have to wait. She turned her chair and waited for Nikita to speak.

"Why?" the blond asked simply.

"Every aspect of Charlotte's training is implemented with her best interests in mind."

"How is the White Room in her best interests? You tortured her."

"Is that what Charlotte said?"

"Charlotte didn't say anything. She toed the line just like the perfect operative you trained her to be," Nikita said, her words dripping with disgust. "I don't understand how you sleep at night."

"The training protocols of Section are not open for discussion."

"Protocol, is that all you care about?" Nikita asked. "What about Charlotte? She may have grown up in here, but she's still a child. She should have a choice."

"We all have a choice."

"Obedience or death – that's not a choice."

Sensing they were getting nowhere, Madeline changed the subject. "What has Charlotte told you about her parents?"

"They were both operatives – they've dead been dead since she was a child."

"Before they died, they may a choice," Madeline said carefully. "They wanted their daughter to be a part of their lives."

"They wouldn't have wanted this."

"You don't know what they'd want."

"But you do?"

"Yes." Madeline thought back to the last words Charlotte's father had spoken to her. "They wanted their daughter to survive."

"It's still wrong."

"That will be all Nikita," she said, giving the younger operative no choice but to drop the subject and leave her office.

* * *

Charlotte groaned inwardly when she realized that someone was at her door. Her dinner had arrived almost an hour ago, so it had to be a visitor. Hopefully it wasn't Nikita – Charlotte didn't have the energy to go another round with her at the moment.

"Charlotte."

She breathed a silent sigh of relief when Madeline walked into the room. "Hello."

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

Madeline crossed the room to stand next to the bed. "How's your appetite?"

"Fine."

Madeline lifted the cover off the dinner tray. When she saw that the food was barely touched, she looked at Charlotte with disapproval.

"Okay," Charlotte admitted. "I'm a little nauseated."

"You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

Madeline ignored Charlotte and stepped over to pick up the tray. She carried it into the kitchen to warm up the contents. She returned a few minutes later to find Charlotte still lying in bed.

"I said I'm not hungry," Charlotte said without looking at Madeline.

"You're going to eat." Madeline said firmly. "Now stop behaving like a child and sit-up."

She rolled her eyes in response, but did what was asked. Madeline set the tray on Charlotte's lap and handed her the spoon.

"Happy?" she asked after swallowing a spoonful of the warm broth.

"I'll be happy when you finish it."

They sat in silence as Charlotte ate. It didn't bother her that Madeline was seated in a chair next to her bed, but it bothered her that she was being forced to finish the soup. When she had eaten half of it, she asked,

"Don't you have work other work to do?"

"There's nothing pressing."

"Still," Charlotte knew that she most likely would fail to get Madeline to leave, but continued anyway. "There must be something more important than watching me eat."

"No, not at the moment."

"Really?"

"Yes," Madeline said, allowing the faintest of smiles to cross her face. "Just eat."

"If I throw up later, I'm holding you responsible."

"Your stomach is fine – you just need to get something in it."

"Fine." Charlotte swallowed a few more spoonfuls of soup and asked, "I know you didn't come over here just to watch me eat. Why are you really here?"

"Nikita came by my office today." Madeline waited for Charlotte to have another spoonful of soup before she continued. "She was concerned about you."

"And what? You felt guilty?"

"No."

She broke eye contact with Madeline. "Of course."

"I don't enjoy this any more than you do."

She swirled her soup with her spoon, without looking up. "Sure."

"Charlotte, I don't."

"I know." She looked up briefly before returning her gaze to her soup. "It's just hard sometimes."

"Yes, it is."

Neither woman said anything else after that – there wasn't anything left to say. After a few minutes, Charlotte finished her soup and Madeline took the tray into the kitchen. She refilled the pitcher of water next to the bed and asked,

"Do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you."

"How's your pain?"

"It's fine."

Madeline arched an eyebrow at her response. "Fine enough to fall asleep?"

"Medical will come by in a little bit."

"You should sleep now."

Charlotte watched her open the drawer on the nightstand and pull out some of the supplies Medical had left. As Madeline filled a syringe, she said, "I don't need much – I don't want to be groggy tomorrow."

"It's just enough for you to fall asleep," she assured her as she inserted the needle into the IV line and depressed the plunger. "There – I'll tell Medical they won't need to check on you until the morning."

"Thanks," Charlotte said as she slid down further into her pillow. "Good night."

"Goodnight." Madeline dimmed turned off the lights and walked out.

* * *

Nikita walked into Section the next morning and looked up at the Perch out of habit. Seeing what Operations was doing or to whom he was speaking could provide valuable insight into how the day's events would play out. This time she was surprised to see Charlotte talking with Operations. She headed over to Comm. to see if Birkoff knew what Charlotte was doing back to work so soon.

"Hey Nikita," he greeted from behind his computer.

"Hey."

"What's up?"

Nikita sat down in one of the empty chairs. "What's Charlotte doing in the Perch?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Operations wanted to see her."

"Oh, okay." Nikita was puzzled by his lack of reaction, but then she realized that Charlotte most likely left out the nature of her lessons with Madeline when she talked to Birkoff. She watched Charlotte talk with Operations and was struck by how relaxed the girl looked. "Is she always that comfortable with Operations?

"What are you talking about?"

"Look at her body language – she's relaxed."

He followed her gaze. "I don't see it."

"There!" she said triumphantly. "She just smiled."

"That's how she always acts."

"With Operations?

"Yeah, so?"

"You don't find that weird?"

"Not really."

"Never mind." Nikita stood up, realize that head of Comm. was probably the last person with whom she should be discussing the nuances of personal interactions. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." Birkoff looked up at the Perch, trying to figure out what Nikita had found so interesting. Failing to see anything other than Charlotte and Operations talking, he returned to his work.

* * *

"You wanted to see me?"

Operations turned to look at Charlotte who seemed to materialize out of nowhere in his Perch. She, like Madeline and Michael, was on of the few operatives to have mastered that skill.

"Yes."

She took a few steps further and waited until he spoke again.

"How are you?"

"Fine." Charlotte smiled politely. "Thank you."

He studied her for a moment. "I meant, how are you feeling."

"Fine."

"Charlotte," he pressed.

"I'm a little tired."

"You should take another day."

"I'm not that tired. Besides, I can't spend another day doing nothing."

He shook his head slightly at her rationale – of course Charlotte would consider rest a waste of time. "You're not good to us if you over do it."

"I'll be sitting at a workstation. I couldn't over do it if I tried"

"Still, I want you to take it easy."

"Take it easy, sir?" She smirked. "Is that a typical order for a Level 2 operative?"

"You're hardly typical."

"Thank you," she said with a smile, hoping it would distract him.

"You're welcome." He smiled back. "But you're still going to rest – two hours at lunch."

"Two hours," she repeated reluctantly.

"At least," he added, holding her gaze.

"Yes, sir," she said with a wink.

"I saw that." He smiled at the innocent look she gave him, but failed to fall for it. "I could always contact Medical."

"I'll rest," she said quickly, knowing Medical would send her back to her quarters.

"Good, now get to work."

"Yes sir."

* * *

After she left Comm., Nikita headed to where she knew Charlotte would be working. When Charlotte walked into the room, Nikita pretended to be busy at her station while surreptitiously checking on her friend. Two hours later, she glanced over and Charlotte met her eye. Not wanting to make her friend get up, Nikita walked over to Charlotte's workstation.

"Good morning, Nikita."

"Good morning. How are you?"

"You've been watching me all morning – you tell me."

"Was I that obvious?"

"I just hope you're better in the field," Charlotte said dryly.

"I'll work on it."

"Good."

"So, how are you?"

"Fine, you?"

"Fine. You up for a break?"

"I have a lot of work to do."

"I'd like to talk."

"All right." Charlotte stood up, knowing that Nikita would not just return to work and that there was no point in delaying the inevitable conversation that they needed to have. "Let's go someplace quieter."

"Sure."

"Wait." She paused mid-step. "Let me just shut down."

"No problem."

Nikita watched Charlotte log off her station. Because she didn't sit down, she had to lean over to type. When she straightened, Charlotte had to steady herself on her chair before she began walking. Nikita wanted to say something but chose to let it go for the time being.

"Sorry about that," Charlotte apologized as they left the room. "If I didn't shut-down, Operations would get on my case for working too hard."

"Yeah, he's always telling me to take it easy too," she joked back.

"You know what I mean." She shook her head as they walked into an empty conference room. When they got in, Nikita shut the door and Charlotte immediately sat down in a chair and closed her eyes. "Before you say anything, I'm fine."

"Right."

Charlotte opened her eyes. "I'm just a little tired."

"That's an understatement," she muttered disapprovingly as she sat down in a chair next to Charlotte.

"Nikita…"

"Look, I don't want to argue with you – I want to apologize for yesterday. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was attacking you."

"Thanks, but I know you weren't upset with me."

"I wasn't. I just don't think it's fair what they did to you."

"It's not about fairness and it's not something I enjoy, but I understand the necessity. It doesn't bother me that you're not okay with it."

"Well, what bothers me is that fact that you are okay with it."

"I have to be okay with it – it's a matter of survival."

"It shouldn't be. You're still a child and on the outside…"

Charlotte cut her off sharply. "We're not on the outside. I've never been and I never will."

"That's my point. You can't see how wrong this is. Section is so ingrained in you that you can't see any alternatives to this."

"And you can? Tell me, Nikita, how else can I prepare for hostile interrogation?" Charlotte asked but got no response. "You can't and that's why I have to accept things. It may suck at times, but Section is my life and it's yours too."

In that moment, Nikita realized they would never agree on this subject, because, as smart as she was, Charlotte could never be objective – her childhood in Section would always cloud her perspective In some ways, Nikita was envious of the unwavering loyalty Charlotte seemed to possess because it made accepting things easier. At the same time, Nikita cherished the free will she maintained from he old life.

"I know that, Charlotte," Nikita said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I just want you to see the other side of things because you're my friend and I care."

"I know and your friendship means a lot to me."

"Same here."

"Good." Charlotte smiled as she stood up. "Now I really am going to go to my quarters to rest, but would you like to join me there for lunch at 1pm?

"That'd be great."

"I'll see you then." Charlotte walked out of the room with a look of relief on her face. She had known going in that she and Nikita would never agree completely, but she didn't want this to come between them. With the conversation over and lunch plans made, she knew they'd be okay.

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think….I love the feedback!


	6. Mandatory Refusal

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Mandatory Refusal**

All of Section's main operatives stood in the "War Room" waiting for Operations. There was a nervous tension in the air as people silently speculated about Michael's fate as well as the depth of the breach into Section's communication system. Nikita and Walter stood on one side of the room while Charlotte and Birkoff stood at the other. The moment he entered, Operations became the focus of all attention.

"As you must know by now we suffered a strike this evening. Michael survived. He was tracked several hundred meters out of the incineration zone before he shed his transmitters and communication devices. "He's now in 'Mandatory Refusal.' He'll assume the Section has been breached and will sever all communications until his Mission is complete. The next time he contacts us it will be tell us that the Mission has been completed."

Nikita and Charlotte exchanged relieved looks across the room. Completing the mission without support from Comm. would be difficult, but they both new that Michael was the one operative who could do just that.

"However, there's a further complication," Operations added. "We downloaded an MPEG fifteen minutes ago."

Operations reached down and turned on a computer monitor, which revealed Enquist sitting in front of a camera.

_"We had a beautiful relationship. I'm sorry it has to end on such a downer. I'm a businessman. Don't blame me for misrepresenting myself. I was just trying to make the best deal I could. Now it's time for me to disappear. It's going to take a few days I can't be distracted by further attempts on my life. So, call off your assassins, let me go about my business, and ah, when I'm done, I'll return my hostage."_

When Enquist stepped aside to reveal his hostage, the entire room was shocked to see Madeline bound to a chair. Everyone stared at the screen in disbelief, expect for Charlotte who kept her eyes trained on Operations.

"From now on our Mission profile has changed. I want all resources deployed toward one end. We much stop Michael."

Operations walked out of the room, leaving the operatives still slightly stunned. Within a few moments, everyone was refocused and they disbursed to their various assignments. Charlotte was one of the first people to slip from the room. In the hallway, she leaned against the wall trying to regain her focus, but it seemed impossible.

"Charlotte."

Nikita's voice interrupted her thoughts and she mustered a greeting. "Hey."

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"You don't look it."

"I'm fine," she answered shakily.

"You don't sound it either." Nikita paused a beat "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Charlotte." She led them into an alcove. "Is it Madeline?"

"No – yes – I don't know," she rambled. "I just always thought that she'd have to deal with it – not me – this isn't the way I thought it would happen."

"You're not making sense."

"I…" Charlotte began to explain but realized what she was about to say. "I'm just surprised and not processing everything clearly. I'm sorry – I overreacted."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," she said quickly. "I need to go to Systems – I have work to do."

"Sure." Nikita watched her leave with concern, but the concern was fleeting as her focus returned to Michael.

* * *

Walter looked up from his work and jumped slightly when he saw Charlotte silently watching him.

"Jesus, Princess, you scared me."

"Sorry." She gave him a half-shrug. "You looked busy – I didn't want to interrupt."

"I'm never too busy for you." He smiled at her, setting down his work. "What are you supposed to be doing?"

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"I finished."

He looked at her in concern. Normally, she used her detached tone to mask her emotions, but this time it looked like more than just an act. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He was unconvinced. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Can you tell me that this is all going to end okay?" Charlotte paused and continued softly. "There isn't a single profile where they both end up alive."

"There's always off-profile."

"Maybe," she said without believing it. She picked up a comm. unit. "Will you keep me updated?"

"Of course, Princess."

* * *

Charlotte sat behind Madeline's desk in her office with her knees drawn to her chest. After leaving Walter, she wanted to be undisturbed, so she went where no one would interrupt. Only one person would know to look for her there, and he was on the person she could talk to. Sure enough, he entered the room – silently walking over to Madeline's Bonsai trees.

After a few minutes of silence, Charlotte said, "Do you remember the last time?"

"Six years ago."

"It was easier then – at least for me." He turned away from the plants to look at her, and she continued. "I didn't know as much."

"I didn't want you to know anything."

"You tried to distract me with chess."

"You beat me."

"Twice." Charlotte smiled slightly. "But I figured it out."

"You were always too smart for your own good."

"I know."

He sat down across from her. "You were in her office then too."

"I always like that office – I felt safe there."

"And this one?"

"It's different – colder."

"But you're still here."

"True." She paused. "We shouldn't be doing this. She wouldn't like it."

"I know."

Operations agreed, without having to ask her what she meant. They both knew that compromising a mission in response to extortion went against everything they believed and everything that Section did. They also both understood that even if they succeeded in stopping Michael, that there was no guarantee that they could stop Enquist from taking her life.

"If she gets back…"

He cut her off. "When."

"When she gets back, she's going to be mad as hell."

"We'll deal with that then," he said, standing up.

"Of course." She gave him a half smile. "Is there anything that I should be doing?"

"Not at the moment."

"If anything comes up, I'll be here."

Operations nodded at her and then walked to the doorway. He paused briefly and asked, almost as an afterthought. "Have you eaten?"

"I'm not hungry."

"I'll have Christopher send something over," he said, leaving no room for argument.

"Okay," Charlotte said without looking at him. Operations left her there, silently staring at the walls of the office.

* * *

The tension in Comm. was the highest Charlotte could ever remember it being. Birkoff sat at his usual station with the addition of Operations hovering over his shoulder. Like the two men, Charlotte wore an earpiece and looked like the epitome of professionalism.

They were busy with standard tactical work, when a voice crackled over the radio. "Comm., can you hear me? Comm.?"

"Who is that?" Birkoff said.

"Birkoff, it's me, Nikita."

"Nikita, what are you doing? Get off that channel!"

"I'm on site. Madeline's safe. Call off the hit on Michael, _Now_."

For a moment, nobody said or did anything, but then Operations gave a small nod and Birkoff said into his microphone, "Rescind orders on Michael – hostiles only.

They waited in silence until Michael's voice was heard. "Target terminated, material secured."

With those words, all of Section seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

* * *

After 24 hours in Medical, Madeline was released, and life in Section returned to normal. Since Madeline's return, Charlotte had not seen her. She knew Operations had been there and that was enough, but now she was being summoned to her office.

"You wanted to see me?" she said in place of a greeting when the door slid open; she waited there until Madeline officially invited her in.

"Come in." She watched Charlotte sit down and waited a moment before continuing. "I was reviewing the report from my absence and I noticed that you were not working in Systems or any other area of the Section for much of the time. Why is that?"

"I had a migraine," she lied smoothly. If Madeline could brush off the hostage situation as a simple absence, then she could keep a similar calm. "Operations suggested that I rest."

"Lying to me would be ineffective," Madeline called her out on it, despite being pleased that she was unable to read the lie from Charlotte's expression or body language. The only reason she knew it was a lie was her extensive knowledge of Charlotte's psych profile. When she got no immediate response, Madeline continued, "Or I could sift through surveillance records until I uncover your true whereabouts, but I have a lot of work that needs my attention, and it would be easier all around if you told me yourself."

"I was here."

"Here?"

"Yes, here – in your office." She paused a beat. "After viewing the first MPEG, I finished my immediate work Systems, and I came here until it was time for the deal with Bocce."

"Did you bother to tell anyone of your decision?"

"Walter, so he could keep me informed of any developments," she said, mindful of keeping her tone even and calm. "And Operations found me rather quickly."

"What did he say?"

"That I should eat something."

"So he agreed with you?"

"Yes." She watched Madeline carefully. "Would you have rather he ordered me back to work as if nothing was happening? Or would you have preferred that I advise him to call off the hit on Michael and let you die?"

"I deal in facts, Charlotte, not speculation."

"Of course." She forced a smile. "Will that be all?"

"Yes." She nodded as Charlotte rose from her seat. "Go back to work."

"Just so you know, Madeline." She paused in the doorway, turning to look at Madeline. "I did what you would have wanted."

"And what was that?"

"I told him you wouldn't want us interfering with Michael," she said with a stony expression. "He didn't listen, but I said it."

"That's why you said it, wasn't it?" Madeline said as Charlotte turned to leave again; Charlotte froze where she stood but did not turn. "Because you knew Operations would not act on your suggestion."

"And if that was the reason, does that mean I failed?" She kept her back to Madeline, closing her eyes to hold back the tears that threatened her eyes. She hated the way Madeline could read her so easily and she hated even more how the entire situation affected her.

"No." Madeline chose her words carefully. "It simply means you need more practice."

"Practice." She scoffed while biting her lip and shaking her head. "Until what? I'm able to be as detached as you?"

"No." She ignored the bitterness on the edge of Charlotte's voice. "Until you can control your emotions so that they do not interfere with your work."

"And how much control will that be?" She looked over her shoulder and met Madeline's eyes with a look that was a mix of restrained defiance and confused little girl. "Until I can watch you die without caring, or until I'm capable of pulling the trigger myself?"

"Good back to work, Charlotte," she ordered, as if the girl's words had no effect on her.

"Of course." She nodded curtly before exiting the office.

* * *

A/N: So what did you think about my take on this episode? The next one promises to have more interaction with Nikita/Michael.


	7. Walking Contradictions

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

A/N: I realize that it's been forever since I updated and it may be a while until I do again, but I do have half of the next chapter written, so please review and maybe you'll inspire me to do this instead of my grad school applications. Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Walking Contradictions**

"Your relationship with Emily Sandi is not progressing as rapidly as we need it to," Madeline told Nikita, who sat across the desk from her.

Nikita had expected Madeline to say this. Her current mission was to befriend the wife of a known arms dealer: Luis Sandi. She and Michael were posing as a married couple and, although they had befriended the Sandi's, they hadn't done more than go out to dinner with them a few times. "I see Emily almost everyday and she trusts me, but I don't think she's ever going to invite me over to the house."

"We agree." She was pleased Nikita had drawn this conclusion. Getting into the Sandi residence was vital to the mission. The compound had a complex security system, and the only way to study it was from the inside. "That's why we've adjusted the profile. Charlotte will be joining you on the mission."

"How will that work?"

"She'll be posing as the daughter of Michael's cousin. The details will be on your panel, but she will still with you and attend the same prep school as Lorenzo."

"The son from Luis' first marriage?"

"Yes." Madeline nodded. "We've been doing surveillance and believe that he is more likely to bring someone inside than Emily."

"When will she arrive?"

"Tomorrow evening, so I suggest you mention it to Emily when you see her this afternoon."

"Of course. Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Good." Nikita stood up and left the office.

* * *

Nikita and Walter were in Munitions when Charlotte sauntered over to them. "Hey people."

"Hey Princess," Walter greeted and Nikita gave her a smile.

"Do you have my cell phone?" she asked him sweetly.

"Just give me a couple minutes – excuse me ladies."

With Walter busy in the back, Charlotte turned to Nikita. "So, did you read the profile?"

"Yes."

"What did you think?"

Nikita wasn't quite sure what she was asking. "Of the profile?"

"Yes."

"Um, it's fine."

Charlotte look disappointed. "Just fine?"

"Well, yeah – Charlotte, why do you care so much?"

"Because _I _created it."

"Oh." Nikita nodded, finally understanding. "What I meant was: it's the greatest profile I've ever read."

"Now you're just patronizing me," she said with a smile. "Although, I suppose that I should be happy that you couldn't tell it was my first one."

"It's your first?"

"Well, I've done dozens in Sims and training, but this is the first one that's been applied to a mission without any modifications," she explained. "I was studying the surveillance on the Sandi's and I realized that Lorenzo's psych profile made him a good target. So, I made a report and submitted it to Madeline – and voila!"

"Great," Nikita said with a smirk at Charlotte's excitement.

"What?"

"Nothing," she tried to play it off, but Charlotte stared her down. "You're just funny."

"How?"

"You just created a profile to take down an international arms dealer and you're acting like you just got an A+ on a spelling test."

"Well, I did ace the paper I had to write for my Russian Lit tutor, so I guess I can be happy on all fronts."

"You're a nut."

"And now I'm your problem: Foster Mommy," she said, sticking out her tongue.

It was moments like these that reminded Nikita of Charlotte's true age. She always dressed professionally and often appeared to be twice her age, but it was the little things that stuck out to Nikita like the seemingly ever-changing colored nail polish on her fingers. "Is that what you plan on calling me?"

"I'm just testing it out." She grinned. "How do you think Michael will feel about being 'Foster Daddy'?"

Nikita smiled back. "You'll have to ask him."

"Oh, I will." Charlotte's eyes, which were a dark green thanks to her latest pair of contacts, sparkled as she spoke. When she saw Walter returning her demeanor became all business – it was as if her entire personality changed. "Is that it?"

"Yes." He held out what looked to be a normal cell phone. "It works just like a real phone, except when you press this button on the side here it records the schematics of whatever room you're in."

"And how to do I send them to Section?"

"A simple phone call – Birkoff can give you the number."

"I'll go do that now." She picked up the phone and waved over her shoulder. "See you later."

"Bye Princess," Walter called after her.

Nikita watched Charlotte walk away. "Walter, can I ask you something?"

"Sure thing, Sugar."

"Why do you call her Princess?"

"There aren't any other kids in here, so I used to tease her that she was the Princess of Section," he said with a shrug. "It just kind of stuck."

"So you knew her when she was a child?"

There was a hint of pride in his voice as Walter spoke. "I taught her how to shoot. You should have seen her. She could shoot better than most operatives before she hit her ninth birthday."

"What was she like?"

"Very serious – a lot like she is now, but charming and sweet too." He smiled at the memory of a young Charlotte. "Why are you asking all this?"

"No reason – I'm just curious. Charlotte doesn't talk about her past much."

"Then you should stay out of it."

Nikita was surprised by the sudden change in Walter's tone. A second ago he was sharing stories and now he was serious. "Why?"

"Because the history there is more dangerous than you think – just let it go, Sugar."

* * *

"Thank you again for everything, Emily." Nikita reached across the table to touch the hand of the petite brunette who was eating at a café with her. "You've been so helpful in getting everything prepared for Charlotte."

"What are friends for?"

"You've gone above and beyond. Twenty-four hours ago I was panicking about suddenly having this teenage girl that I barely know moving into my house, and now I've bought everything she could need and she's enrolled at San Sebastian's."

"I didn't secure her enrollment, your donation to the school did."

Nikita chuckled a little. "Still, thanks."

"Don't mention it," Emily smiled. "Six months ago, I was in your exact same position. Lorenzo was 'asked not to return' to his boarding school, and suddenly I had this 17-year-old stepson in my house who was resentful of my entire existence."

"I can't imagine what that would be like. At least Charlotte won't resent Michael and me – we're just giving her a place to stay until her mother is up to providing a home for her."

"Yes, and it should only be for a couple months. Surtax's is known for their success rates in these situations," Emily said, referring to the rehab center where Nikita told her Charlotte's mother was staying.

"That's the hope." Nikita glanced down at her watch. "Oh, wow, it's later than I expected. I really should be getting home so I can finish setting up her room. I'm so sorry to cut this short."

"No problem. You'll call me tomorrow."

"Of course. Bye."

* * *

Charlotte and Michael rode together in a comfortable silence. They were on their way back to Michael's house and they both dressed the part. Michael wore a business suit whereas Charlotte wore a pair of low rise jeans and a baby-tee, which made her look every bit the rebellious teenager she was supposed to be playing.

Glancing at the digital clock on the dash, she asked, "How far are we from the house?"

"Fifteen minutes."

"Good."

"Are you ready for this?"

"When have I not been ready?"

"The first mission we had together."

She was surprised he brought that up, let alone remembered. "That was not my fault – the security system didn't disengage."

_ Flashback _

_Michael had been skeptical from the minute he read the profile of the mission. They were bringing in a known terrorist in his home and Michael's role was to extract the operative who was undercover on the inside: the "daughter" his high school girlfriend had given up for adoption years ago. On the surface, it was a normal mission – the difference was that the undercover operative was a twelve-year-old girl. Based on what he had read, she was a competent operative in terms of skills, but Michael had yet to meet her and remained unconvinced._

_The night of the mission, he was assigned to her egress point. Things were going smoothly until he heard a high-pitched voice over his comm. unit._

"_Why is the door locked?"_

_There was a pause before the operative in mobile comm. said, "The security system failed to disengage completely. You'll need to find an alternate egress route."_

"_Okay," she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice._

_Michael waited, scanning the side of the building where she would be coming from. Suddenly he heard movement in a nearby tree and saw a small figure make her way from the window to the ground. She ran over to him and said, "Sorry I'm late. You must be Michael.'_

"_Yes." He wasn't sure what to make of the girl in front of him with a serious expression on her face while dressed in lavender pajamas._

"_I'm Charlotte. Do you have my weapon?"_

_He handed her a Beretta 92F and they made their way to the van. There were times when Charlotte returning fire at hostiles and he would forget that she wasn't even a teenager yet. When they got inside the van, Michael was surprised that they started moving without waiting for the rest of the team. Looking over at the girl next to him, he wondered if she was the reason for their departure and he also noticed she was shivering._

"_Are you cold?"_

"_I'm fine," she said, despite her goose bumps._

"_Here." He took off his jacket and she reached for it gratefully._

"_Thanks."_

_He noticed a particularly nasty set of scratches on her arms and hands. "Are you all right?"_

"_Yeah." She slipped the jacket over her shoulders as she spoke. "I just got scraped up from the tree – it's nothing."_

"_You should be checked by Medical."_

_She nodded and gave him a small smile. "I will."_

_The ride back to Section took a little over three hours. At some point, Charlotte began to nod off and fell asleep against Michael's shoulder. Michael was surprised how he did not mind her presence next to him – compared to life inside Section, Charlotte looked so sweet and innocent even though hours ago she was lethal. When they arrived at Section, he woke her gently and made sure she went straight to Medical. After his debrief, he went to check on her but she was gone. He wouldn't see her again for years._

_ End Flashback _

He cast her a sidelong glance. "Excuses."

She smiled at the joke Michael cracked – okay, it wasn't really a joke, but it was as close as the operative ever came. "Well, there won't be any this time. I bet you I'll be inside the Sandi house by the end of the week." She got no reply. "What? You're not going to take my bet?"

"I don't bet on missions."

"Nikita will – just wait and see."

"I'm sure she will." Michael said, returning his focus to his driving. Charlotte yawned quietly as she looked out the window, and Michael couldn't help but think that although she was older, Charlotte was still very much the little girl that fell asleep next to him in the mission van.

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think….I love the feedback!!! 


	8. Caricature of Intimacy

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

A/N: I realize that it's been forever since I updated, so I understand if people have given up on this, but if you are still reading please review. Also, this chapter's Charlotte/Nikita/Mission-heavy…the next one will be back in Section. Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Caricature of Intimacy**

"Good morning Charlotte," Nikita said brightly when the teenager came into the dinette where she and Michael were eating breakfast.

"Morning," she mumbled, taking the empty seat at the table.

"How did you sleep?" Michael asked.

"Fine."

The remainder of the breakfast passed in the same fashion with Nikita and Michael talking and Charlotte responding with nods and monosyllabic sentences. After the meal, Michael kissed Nikita goodbye and left to work, while Nikita and Charlotte headed to the garage. Once they were inside the surveillance free car, Charlotte was the first to speak.

"Your breakfast cooking skills need work."

Nikita looked at the girl in surprise – this was not what she had expected her to say. "What?"

"Those may have been the worst eggs I've ever eaten."

"You barely touched them."

Charlotte folded her arms and leaned back in her seat. "I rest my case."

"Michael ate his."

"He had to."

"Why? Because of the profile?" Nikita thought about the role she was playing as Michael's perfect housewife.

"No."

"Then why?"

"You."

"Huh?"

"You're more important than runny eggs," Charlotte said with a smile. "Cant you see that?"

"It's just the profile."

"It's more than that."

Nikita couldn't hide the excitement in her voice when she asked, "Really?"

"Yes."

"I think you're just reading too much into this." Nikita shook her head. "Michael's good."

"I agree," she said with a teasing grin.

"That's not what I meant."

"Look," Charlotte said, her voice serious. "Before I was on active mission status I did a lot of surveillance review, so I know just how _good_ Michael is, but this is different – he's different with you."

Nikita was silent as she processed what Charlotte had just told her. If Charlotte had seen it, then maybe what she was feeling was real. She wanted to ask more, but they arrived at the school first.

"I'd love to stay and chat," Charlotte said, picking up her bag. "But I have to become a sullen, yet intriguing high school student."

"I'm sure you'll have no problem with that."

Charlotte rolled her eyes in response. "I hate you."

"Great start."

* * *

Charlotte sat on a railing at the edge of the parking lot casually smoking a cigarette. She appeared to be oblivious to her new classmates who were talking and laughing as they headed to their cars and bikes after a long day of classes. Behind their bored look, her eyes scanned the crowd for Lorenzo. Everything about her was calculated from her position two cars past his to the angle of her crossed legs under the plaid skirt of her uniform.

After a few minutes the parking lot cleared out and Charlotte noticed Lorenzo sauntering towards her. She pretended not to see him until he spoke, "You know those things will kill you."

"Really? I though carcinogens were a girl's best friends," she said, taking a long drag.

He smiled and pulled a cigarette from the pack in his pocket. "Got a light?"

"Sure." She passed him her lighter with an amused smirk. "So you got a name?"

"I'm whoever you want me to be."

She took the lighter back from him. "Of course you are."

"And you're Charlotte Reese, the new girl who's staying with her cousin and his wife while her mother is at a 'spa.'"

"Do girls usually find that charming or creepy?"

He ignored her question and offered his hand. "Lorenzo Sandi."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" she asked, shaking his hand anyway.

"My step-mother is 'best friends' with your cousin's wife. She rambled on about you last night."

"So you came over here out of an obligation to talk to me?"

"No – I wanted a light."

"Really?"

"I don't listen to my stepmother."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "So you're a rebel?"

"Without a cause, according to her."

"Well, then let's go find one." With that, Charlotte hopped off the railing and started to walk away – silently challenging him to follow.

* * *

Things between Charlotte and Lorenzo progressed quickly, which was not that surprising. After all, they were young, beautiful, and rich. Lorenzo already was involved with a fast crowd and by the end of the week Charlotte fell into it as well. Judging only by the parties they attended, their relationship appeared superficial, but it actually was deeper. They would talk for hours about her _mother's_ drug problems and his birth mother's nervous breakdown and hospitalization.

The entire relationship was following the script of the profile perfectly and Charlotte was fulfilling her role wonderfully. The only problems were the times that it stopped feeling like an act. She legitimately had fun with Lorenzo and there were moments that she'd forget about the mission – moments like this one where they were making out in her room.

Charlotte's sweater was already off when she began unbuttoning her shirt, he stopped her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes." She slid her shirt from her shoulders. "I'm sure."

Things between them progressed from there until they were interrupted by an outraged voice. "What the hell is going on?"

Charlotte saw Nikita in the doorway as Lorenzo rolled off of her. Grabbing her shirt, she snapped at Nikita. "What do you think?"

Nikita glared at her in response and then walked over to pick up Lorenzo's short. She tossed it at him angrily and ordered, "Get dressed and get out." When he hesitated, she added, "Now!"

"Lorenzo, wait," Charlotte said, pushing past Nikita to give him a kiss before he left. "I'll call you."

"No – you won't," Nikita said, glaring at the young couple until Charlotte stepped away from Lorenzo and he left. "I want to make this very clear, Charlotte, so listen carefully. While you are staying in my house, you will not have any boys – Lorenzo or otherwise – in your room unsupervised. Understood?"

"Whatever."

"No – not whatever – you are a guest and I can kick you out whenever I want. So, start behaving or I'll have you in foster care before you know what hit you."

* * *

"I hate you!" Charlotte shouted at Nikita two days later as she stormed upstairs to her room. She locked the door behind her and turned on her stereo loud enough to drown out the noise of the call she was about to make.

"Hey Babe." Lorenzo's voice came over the line. "What's up?"

"Change of plans – my cousin's being a bitch and not letting me out."

"You canceling?"

"Hell no – just pick me up at the end of my street."

"Sure thing."

"See you soon."

Snapping her phone closed, Charlotte slipped it in her purse and headed for the window. She pushed it open and climbed out, using a nearby tree to make it down to the ground. Ducking past the windows on the first floor, she made her way to the corner where Lorenzo was waiting.

"How much for the hour?" he asked as she got into the passenger's side.

She leaned over to kiss him and whispered in his ear, "More than you can afford."

"Then you must be the best."

"You have no idea," she said with a grin. "But maybe if you're good, you'll find out.

* * *

A couple hours later, Charlotte and Lorenzo were in the middle of another make out session. It seemed so natural: boy and girl go to party, get drunk, and find an empty room upstairs. Expect that this time it was all staged – from the room with the view of the street they _stumbled_ into between kisses to the moment when Charlotte, wearing only her mini skirt, looked over Lorenzo's shoulder to see Michael approaching the front door of the house.

"Shit."

"What?"

"Michael – my cousin – is here."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." She picked up his shirt and tossed it to him. She grabbed her own and pulled it over her head, opting to shove her bra in her purse. "We need to get out of here."

Lorenzo pulled his shirt over his head and took her hand. 'I know a way."

Within minutes, Charlotte was climbing down her second tree of the evening, only this time with Lorenzo's help. They made their way to Lorenzo's car only to find it blocked in. Charlotte was about to complain, when Lorenzo pulled out his cell phone and, with a cocky grin, told her, "Always have a back-up plan."

"So?" Charlotte prompted once he finished the call.

"My driver will meet us outside the café down the street in five minutes."

"Well, let's go – I don't want to be here when Michael realizes we've already left."

* * *

An hour later, Charlotte slipped out of Lorenzo's arms and, after making sure he was still asleep, left his room. During their car ride away from the party, it had been fairly easy to convince Lorenzo that going to his house was they only way they could have the privacy they needed. With his parents out of town and his hormones driving his actions, Lorenzo quickly agreed. Once she was a safe distance down the hallway, Charlotte pulled out her cell phone and began recording the schematics of the house.

After submitting the information to Section, Charlotte returned to Lorenzo and fell asleep next to him. The next morning, Charlotte convinced him that they should leave his family's estate and have breakfast in town. Halfway through the meal, Nikita arrived and angrily dragged Charlotte away from Lorenzo and into her car. Charlotte fought Nikita on her way to the car, but when they were inside she immediately calmed down.

"Is it done?" she asked, as Nikita put the car in reverse.

"The team's inside now."

Charlotte slipped on her sunglasses as they drove away. "Good."

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think….I love the feedback!!


	9. Seventeen Candles

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

A/N: I apologize again for the delays, but I'm going to be better this time…I swear. Thanks to maipigen and caramelapples for the reviews and to anyone else who's still reading.

**

* * *

**

Chapter 8: Seventeen Candles

Charlotte walked out of her debrief with a sense of calm that came from a completed mission. Everything had gone according to profile, which had made the debrief simple and straightforward.

"You look serene."

Charlotte spotted Nikita walking down the hallway towards her. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay then."

"Debrief go well?"

"Yes, yours?"

"Same, old, same old," Nikita said with a shrug. "You want to come over to my place and have a late dinner?"

"Don't want to be alone tonight? Miss our little family?" A slow smile spread across Charlotte's face. "Or do you just miss Michael?"

"No."

"Sure."

Nikita shook her head at Charlotte's antics. "Hey, if you don't want to come, just say so."

"Well, I'd love to but I already have plans."

"Birkoff?"

"No."

"Then who?"

"Whom," Charlotte corrected.

Nikita rolled her eyes. "Then whom?"

"Madeline."

"Madeline?"

"Yes, Madeline," Charlotte confirmed, and then continued seriously. "We're going to bake cookies and braid each other's hair."

Nikita smirked at her. "Just another slumber party, right?"

"Precisely," Charlotte said with a grin.

"So what are you really doing?"

"I'm seeing Madeline – for a psych debrief."

"Why?"

"Have to make sure my relationship with Lorenzo won't have any lasting effect on my performance."

"Fun."

"Oh yes." She smirked. "Maybe if I score well enough they'll make me a Valentine Op."

"Charlotte!"

"What?"

Nikita looked utterly appalled. "You didn't – did you?"

"A lady doesn't kiss and tell."

"I'm not talking about kissing. I know who you've been kissing. I want to know if you slept with him."

"I didn't sleep with him."

"Thank God," Nikita breathed.

"I had sex with him," Charlotte finished, without missing a beat.

"You what?"

"You heard me," she said with an unblinking gaze.

"It's the same thing."

Charlotte shook her head. "No – big difference."

"How do you know?"

"I know."

"You're sixteen," Nikita said, barely able to hide the outrage in her voice.

"Seventeen."

"What?"

"I'm seventeen," Charlotte repeated.

"Since when?"

"Last week – Thursday."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"We were in the middle of a mission."

"Still, we could have worked it in."

"How? You would have baked me a cake?" Charlotte asked with a scoff. "Because that would fit right with the profile."

"You should have said something."

"Well, now you know – put it on your calendar. If neither of us is cancelled, we'll celebrate next year," she finished brusquely. "Now if you'll excuse me."

"Nevermind – I'm leaving.

Charlotte watched Nikita walk away and sighed, wondering how she and Nikita could be friends when they came from such different places. She was startled out of her thoughts when someone said her name.

"Charlotte."

Following the direction of the voice, she looked up to see Madeline watching her from the floor above.

"Are you ready?" Madeline asked.

"Yes – I'll be right up."

"Good – I'll meet you in my office."

"Okay."

She watched Madeline leave before she headed to the stairwell. As she walked, Charlotte wondered how much of her conversation with Nikita that Madeline had overheard. She wasn't concerned with Madeline hearing their argument, but Charlotte worried that she heard her comments about Michael. Because unless she could convince Madeline they were all in jest, there could be major consequences for Nikita.

* * *

When Charlotte walked into Madeline's office she was mildly amused by the set-up. Instead of her usual position behind her desk, Madeline sat in one of two chairs in front of it and a silver tea set was the only item on the desk's surface. It was meant to put Charlotte at ease so she would open up more easily. Two years ago, it would have worked, but today she was able to see right through it.

"Good evening, Charlotte."

"Good evening, Madeline," she said, taking her seat. 'How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you. And you?"

"Pretty well." Charlotte reached for the cup of tea that was already poured for her. There was no point in skirting the discussion of the mission. "It's been a long two weeks."

"Would you say it was difficult?"

"Yes and no."

"What wasn't difficult?"

"The schoolwork," she joked, getting Madeline to smile. "And the acting – playing a teenager – was relatively easy. At times it even was fun."

"Fun?"

"I had a lot of freedom. Yes, I had to follow the profile, but a good portion of the profile required that I was a 'normal' kid."

"And you enjoyed that?"

Charlotte debated lying, but knew Madeline would see straight through it. "Yes."

"Would you have wanted the mission to last longer?"

"No," she said confidently. "I knew it was an act, so I didn't need it to last longer, but there were these brief moments when it was – I don't know – nice."

"Very well. What was difficult?"

"Those moments."

"Why?"

"Because they were real – they challenged the act."

"These moments," Madeline said, pausing to take a sip of her tea. "Were they when you living with Nikita and Michael?"

"No, that was clearly an act."

"But with Lorenzo…" she trailed off, waiting for Charlotte to complete the statement.

"We had a lot of fun together."

"Did you develop feelings for him?"

"Yes, but not to the degree that the profile suggested," Charlotte said professionally. "Lorenzo was a nice guy and I enjoyed spending time with him. But the physical part of the relationship – the sex – was just sex. It didn't mean anything."

Madeline just looked at her in response without saying anything.

"You don't believe me?" Charlotte asked.

"Is there any reason I shouldn't?"

"No – there isn't."

"Nikita seems to disagree with you."

"Nikita doesn't understand."

"Why not?"

"Because she's Nikita."

"That's not an answer."

"Oh, come on, Madeline, you know what I mean." Charlotte tried to hide the annoyance in her voice. "She doesn't understand how you can distinguish between the two."

"Maybe you should explain to her why you can."

"I already tried that."

"Not effectively and I think it would be best for both of you if you try to explain." When Charlotte didn't answer immediately, Madeline pressured her to respond. "How can you make her understand?"

Charlotte thought about it for another moment and then said, "James."

"Yes."

"Are you telling me to share something personal with her?" Charlotte looked at her in amusement. "That's quite out of character for you, Madeline."

"In this case, it's appropriate."

"Right."

"You should go tonight."

"Are we finished?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Charlotte said with surprise. She had expected the psych evaluation to last longer, but apparently Madeline had observed all she needed – whether that was good or bad, Charlotte did not know. She stood up and said, "Goodnight then."

"One more thing." Madeline rose from her seat and walked behind her desk, where she picked up a small package.

"What is this?" she asked, as she took the package from Madeline. She tore through the brown paper and found a book of Russian poetry.

"For your birthday," Madeline explained.

She gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiled back. "Now you should be going."

"Of course – goodnight."

"Goodnight, Charlotte."

* * *

Nikita jumped up when she heard a knock on her door and was even more surprised when she saw Charlotte through the peephole.

"Hey."

"Hey," Nikita echoed, leaning against the doorframe.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

She stepped aside, allowing Charlotte to walk in. "Look, I wanted to apologize about before. I never should have been that short with you."

"I'm sorry too."

Charlotte walked over to her favorite armchair and sat down. "It's just that I'm not used to having someone around who questions things."

"Some things need questions," Nikita said, sitting down at well."

"You deserve answers."

"And you think you have them?"

"Sort of – I want to try and make you understand why I was okay with this mission – with the sex."

"Look, Charlotte, unless you've changed your mind – I don't think you can make me understand. They had no right to put you in that position."

"They didn't put me in it, Nikita, I did. I designed the profile, remember?"

"It's not about who made the profile. It's about the fact that they've made you believe this is okay – that it's normal."

"It is normal!" Charlotte insisted. "Those kids that I went to school with and the ones at the party hook up all the time – what Lorenzo and I did was par for the course."

"You did it for the mission."

"The sex wasn't part of the mission. I didn't have to 'go all the way' to get into his house, and once I was inside it was my choice. Lorenzo was hot and I wanted him."

"How can you be so cavalier about sex – you're still a child."

"Fifty percent of American women lose their virginity by the time they're seventeen."

"That doesn't mean you're ready."

"How old were you?"

"What?'

"You heard me," Charlotte said with an unblinking gaze. "You don't have to answer, but I'm going to assume you were close to my age."

"It was different. I had a boyfriend and we were in love."

"So was I."

Nikita stared at her in surprise. "With Lorenzo?"

"No – with James."

"Who's James?"

"He was an incidental on one of my missions."

"When?"

"A couple months after I turned fifteen, I was sent to boarding school. Four of my classmates were children of suspected terrorists, so it was primarily a reconnaissance mission, but it also was a practical way for me to experience _normal_ interaction with people my age."

"Section's version of a summer camp?" Nikita questioned with a smirk.

"They actually did send me to summer camp when I was younger."

"Seriously?"

"MmHmm." Charlotte nodded. "Dance, equestrian, and a Girl Scout camp – just to make sure I didn't turn into a Secitonized freak."

"The jury's still out on that one."

"Thanks." She rolled her eyes and went back to her story. "Anyway, my roommate had a twin brother, James, and we immediately became friends. Thing progressed and after a couple of weeks we started dating. The weeks turned to months and I fell for him. It wasn't until my sixteenth birthday that we started sleeping together."

"Then what happened?"

"Do you remember when Red Cell got their hands on the directory?"

"Yes," Nikita answered quickly. How could she forget? The loss of the directory led up to the events that forever changed her relationship with Michael.

"I used to sneak over to his dorm at night and slip back into mine in the early morning – with Section training, it was easy. Except one morning, I got back to find his sister dead in our room. She had just dyed her hair a shade of brown similar to mine and Red Cell didn't bother to check the details." Charlotte sighed before continuing, "That afternoon 'my father' came to take me home."

"What about James?"

"I wrote him to say that my parents withdrew me from the school and enrolled me somewhere safer."

"How'd he respond?"

"He wanted to keep writing me, but I couldn't."

"Because of Section."

"Yes, and because I was the reason his sister was dead." Charlotte shook her head. "It's hard enough living with the guilt without his letters."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be – it's better to have loved and lost…"

"Then to have never loved at all," Nikita finished. "You honestly believe that?"

"I don't know, but I do know that love exists outside of Section and one day I'll find it again." Charlotte could tell that Nikita now had a better understanding of her actions on the last mission. She knew that the other operative was not okay with it on principle, but that it wouldn't interfere with their friendship. That said, she wanted to change the subject. "Although for some people, Section is the place to find love."

"Don't start."

"Too late," Charlotte said in a sing-song voice. "Nikita and Michael, sitting in a tree…" Nikita threw a pillow at her. "…K-I-…" Nikita changed her tactics and got up to start tickling her, and Charlotte finished quickly. "…S-S-I-N-G!"

* * *

Exactly one month after Charlotte's seventeenth birthday, Nikita concocted a story to get Charlotte to her quarters during their lunch break. When the pair arrived, they were greeted by Birkoff, Walter, and even Michael for a surprise party. There was cake, popcorn, Oreos, and take-out McDonald's.

They took a few minutes to eat, before Nikita declared it 'present time' because they all had to get back to work. She passed Charlotte a decoratively wrapped box. "Open."

"Yes ma'am."

"It's from Michael and me," Nikita explained. "But he won't admit to the collaboration."

Charlotte sent a smirk in his direction. "Of course not."

"Now, open it," Nikita repeated.

"I am." She began meticulously unwrapping the gift, keeping the process as slow as possible to annoy Nikita, but when she saw the contents she let out a loud laugh. Inside were fitted t-shirts similar to those produced by popular teen clothing lines, but instead of amusing phrases about boys or partying, these were all about Section, "Oh, my gosh, Nikita these rock!"

"Show 'em to us, Princess," Walter told her.

"Okay." She held up the shirts one by one, allowing everyone to laugh at the titles as she read them out loud.

"_I am heavily armed, easily bored, and work for the Section_,

"_Deadly Diva in the Making_,

"And my personal favorite: _I go from 0 to 'I'll Kill You' in 3.5 seconds_."

Nikita laughed as Charlotte hugged her. "Just don't tell Madeline that I'm the one who made them."

"Of course not." She grinned. "Besides, I know better than to wear these outside of Section or in front of them."

"Good." Nikita smiled and passed her another box. "Then you can have this one too."

"_What are you going to do, cancel me?_" Her dropped her jaw as she read it. "This one wins."

"By a landslide," Birkoff said in agreement.

"I think this is going to be the new shirt I wear whenever I have psych ops training with Madeline."

"Just don't let her know you're wearing it, Princess," Walter warned.

"Don't worry." She grinned deviously. "I'll make sure I have something on over it, but I'll know it's there."

"Good," he said with a smile. "Now here's mine."

"Are these?" She trailed off as she opened the box. "Where did you find these?"

"I have my connections."

She gave him a hug. "Thanks."

"So, what is all this?" Nikita looked into the box to see various herbs in separate containers. She held up one of the jars and peered into it. "Drugs?"

"No and careful." She took the jar away and hugged it protectively to her chest. "They're for my cooking."

"Yeah, Sugar, what did you think I was going to get her? A baby glock?" Walter joked.

Charlotte grinned. "That would have been sweet!"

"Right." Nikita shook her head and look at Birkoff. "So, what'd you get _Charlie_?"

"Yeah, Mo." Charlotte grinned, for once not bothered by Nikita using her nickname. "What did you get me?"

"Sit on your bed," he ordered.

"What?"

"Just do it, Charlie." He punched a code into the panel on her desk and cut off the music.

She smiled sweetly from where she now sat on the bed. "Now what?"

"Give me your left hand." He slipped a band on her wrist that vaguely resembled a watch. "It's a new control for the audio system in your room – it's voice activated."

"Um, I love you like a brother Mo, but I already have a voice activated system."

"I'm aware; I installed that." He shook his head at her comment. It was so rare for him to see her having this kind of fun that he really couldn't be annoyed. "It activates the same way – just try it."

"Music on." The sounds of light pop music began to filter into the room. "I'm still not seeing the difference."

"Meditate."

"What?"

"Do the freaky detached-meditation thing you do so well."

"Fine."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Mentally, Charlotte willed herself to calm down and she felt her heart rate slow. As this happened the music in the room mellowed. When she realized what had just happened to the music, her eyes snapped open and the music stopped suddenly.

"Whoa."

"You okay?" Birkoff looked at her with concern, knowing that the music would only stop with an irregularity in one of her body systems.

"Yeah, I just snapped out of my trance-thing a little too fast – my heart skipped a beat." She shrugged it off, knowing that her heart probably had stopped for a second. After a few deep breaths, the energetic music began again. "So is the audio system linked to my emotions?"

"The band measures your pulse rate, body temp, and muscle tension." He told her. "So it's linked to your stress levels and mood more than anything."

"So when I'm in Charlie-Bitch-Mode my music will match me?"

"Yes, and hopefully de-bitchify you," Birkoff said making Charlotte laugh.

"I'm sorry." She suppressed a giggle. "It's just that you said 'de-bitchify.'"

"I can take the gift back," he teased.

"No, I'm sorry, it's awesome. Do you forgive me?"

"You're forgiven."

She hugged him. "Good."

"So, Princess," Walter began. "How does this birthday rank out of the others?"

"It's definitely among the top ones." She grinned. "The presents were amazing, but more importantly, I have my Section family."

"Tear," Birkoff mocked, earning him punch in his arm from Charlotte.

"And I have an announcement regarding my gift from Maddie and Ops."

"Since when do they give gifts?" Nikita asked.

"And since when do you call them that?" Walter added.

"Well, they don't and it's something I'm trying out – and before you worry, Walter, I'd never call them that to their faces," she answered. "But, my point is that this morning they told me that I will be focusing more on Psych Ops now that I've officially reached Level 3 status!"

"About time," Birkoff scoffed and Charlotte raised her fist in his direction. "I mean good for you."

"Thanks." She grinned, and then looked at Michael and Nikita. "The only real downside is that I'll be going out on fewer missions and won't get to play house with you two anymore."

"Aw!" Nikita pouted. "Those were my favorites, right Michael."

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Try to show a little emotion," Charlotte smirked in his direction.

"I'm happy for you," he said sincerely.

"Thanks, Mikey." She earned a harsh glare for that one. "I mean, thank you, Michael, sir."

He gave her a genuine smile. "You're welcome."

* * *

A/N: Okay, the end was kind of fluffy...I couldn't resist, sorry. If you review, I'll love you forever!


	10. In Between

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the actual characters of LFN…this is all in good fun…

Summary: There is a new operative in Section and she's anything but typical. She's younger than her peers, but just as lethal. More importantly she is the key to some of Section's darkest secrets. Will Nikita be able to figure her out?

Timeline: Takes place during Season 2 roughly after "New Regime" – it will not follow the series directly, but aspects of certain episodes will be worked into the script.

A/N: Oh my gosh, I'm posting without a multi-week delay…it's shocking, I know! Anyway, in case you haven't figured it out, this chapter is based on the episode _In Between_. I've borrowed a bit of dialogue, but I believe I made it different enough. As always, many thanks to caramelapples for the reviews and to anyone else who's still reading.

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Chapter 9: In Between

"Hey!"

Charlotte stopped Birkoff in the hallway outside their quarters. He wore sweat pants and a black t-shirt, whereas she wore dark purple yoga pants and the black _Deadly Diva in Training _shirt Nikita had given her for her birthday two months before.

"Hi." He jumped in surprise. "What are you doing out here?"

She smirked. "Looking for you."

"It's three in the morning!"

"I'm aware."

"I don't want to know." He shook his head, choosing not to attempt to figure out Charlotte's sleeping patterns – or lack thereof. Ever since they were children he would find her awake at the oddest of hours, and there were times he swore that she didn't sleep at all. "You should go back to bed."

"I should." She pretended to consider that option. "But I won't, so you might as well tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Nikita told me she needed something."

"Can I come too?"

"It's not like I can stop you."

She followed him down the hallway. "You know me so well."

"Unfortunately."

Charlotte smirked at him as they approached Comm. "Whatever."

"This had better be Priority 3 or higher," Birkoff said to Nikita when they reached the deserted area.

"Sorry to wake you, but it's important." She noticed Charlotte. "What are you doing here?"

"Following Birkoff." She sat on the edge of the workstation where he sat down. Nikita opened her mouth to say something, but she knew Charlotte could be trusted to keep quiet.

"What are we looking for?" Birkoff asked.

"Incoming communications on dormant channels," Nikita told him.

"Friendly or hostile?"

"Friendly – an operative believed dead who's trying to get back in."

"Okay, over here." He slid his chair across the small area. "Alias or real name?"

"Charles Sand."

Hearing that name, Charlotte froze. Why would Nikita be looking for communiqués from Sand? He was dead and had been for years – if he was sending messages into Section, she would know about it.

Birkoff typed in the name and got no match. "Nothing."

"How about Giraldi?"

"No, can I go back to bed now?" he asked tiredly.

Nikita shook her head and asked, "What if someone from the inside was trying to reroute it?"

"I need to know who."

"Operations," she said and Birkoff looked at her in surprise, wondering if she understood the weight of what she had just said. "Just try."

He typed a few commands and watched as an archived file began to load. "Wow."

"What is it?"

"Charles Sand." He read the profile that popped up. "First-tier operative – went dark on the Parsifal mission almost nine years ago."

"Went dark?" Nikita furrowed her brow. "What does that mean?"

"All comm. with him was unexplainably lost during the mission," Charlotte explained calmly; neither her voice nor expression betrayed the thoughts racing through her mind.

"Someone pushed a button on this guy in the middle of the operation," Birkoff added without looking up from the screen. "It was like he was hung out to dry for no particular reason. He had a perfect record."

"What's his status?" Nikita asked.

"That's the weird thing. He's listed as dead, but there's comm. from him every month."

"Who received it?"

"It had to be Operations." Birkoff studied the information. "He rerouted the communiqués to a sync file, and then trashed them." He turned to face her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing – thanks." Nikita walked away, leaving the computer genius baffled.

"What do you think about this?" He looked at Charlotte, but she was lost in thought. "Charlie? Charlie!"

She snapped her head in his direction. "Hmm?"

"You okay."

Charlotte forced a casual smile to her face. "Yeah."

"You're as white as a ghost."

"It's just the light reflecting off my porcelain skin."

He ignored her feeble attempt at humor. "What do you know about this?"

"Nothing."

"What about Sand?"

"It's nothing, Mo."

"Did you know him?" He got a nod in response. "Who was he?"

"How old was I when I moved into Section?"

"Eight."

"And why did I move here?"

"Because your dad died."

"Yes."

"Almost nine years ago." She covered her face with her hands.

"Are you saying that Sand…?" he trailed off but she nodded in response. "So Marc Sabler never existed?"

"His name was – is – Charles Marc." She lowered her hands from her face. "And Sabler is the French word for…"

"Sand," he finished and looked at her for a moment. "What are you going to do?"

"What can I do?" She sighed and stood up. "You can't say anything about this. If they knew that I said anything…"

"I won't say a word." He watched her go to leave. "Where are you going?"

"Bed – I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight." Birkoff watched her leave, giving her enough time for privacy before heading back to his own quarters, knowing full well that his friend would not be sleeping for the rest of the night.

* * *

Charlotte stood in the shadows outside Madeline's office watching Nikita leave. From her perspective, Charlotte decided that Nikita looked as confused as she felt. The only difference was that Charlotte knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the exhaustion she felt, Charlotte stepped into Madeline's office.

"Charlotte."

Madeline could tell that the girl was on edge. Charlotte rarely wore all black, but today she was dressed in a black skirt and top. Her hair was also more severe – styled in a tight bun over her normal loose twist.

"May I come in?"

"Yes." She took in Charlotte's drawn appearance, which confirmed what Madeline suspected: Nikita got her information with Birkoff's assistance and Charlotte was present as well. "Have a seat."

"Thank you."

She placed her panel on the desk, and Madeline looked on it to see the same profile Nikita had shown her.

"Where did you get this?"

"I downloaded it from Comm. when Birkoff wasn't looking."

"You broke the rules," she told her. "You're not exempt from repercussions."

"I know; you've made that abundantly clear." She paused. "He's alive."

"Yes."

"Yes?" Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. "He's alive and that's all you have to say?"

"He's collateral," she said coldly. "The profile's been set – you know I cannot change it."

"So that's it." She bit her lip as tears shone in her eyes. "I find out that my father has been alive for nine years – that for nine years he's been trying to get back in – and you tell me 'too bad, he's collateral.'"

"Charlotte," Madeline said in a soothing voice.

"No! Don't 'Charlotte' me. We're talking about my father!" The tears she had been holding back started falling from her eyes. "Did you know that I still remember everything about that day? It was a Thursday and he was supposed to come home, but he didn't – you were there instead. I asked where he was and you said that he was gone – forever!"

She got no response from Madeline, so she stood up and began to pace in frustration.

"God! My childhood ended that day – poof, gone. Our family was destroyed and you don't even care!" She leaned over the desk. "Did you ever even care? Did you ever love him, or are you really that much of a heartless bitch?"

Madeline did not even blink at Charlotte's words. "Are you finished?"

"Yes." Charlotte lowered herself to her seat; the tears and histrionics immediately halted. "It was worth a try."

"No, it wasn't."

"I know." She wiped away a stray tear. "If you were any other mother…"

"Your performance was actually quite good." Madeline assessed with a clinical detachment. "If I did not know you so well, I may have believed it." She looked into Charlotte's eyes and noticed that they were the same color as Charles'. "Nice choice of contacts."

"Thanks." Charlotte fought the urge to roll her eyes. She had chosen the particular shade of her contacts in hopes of subtly drawing some sympathy from Madeline – obviously that had failed. "What are you going to do?"

"That's not your concern."

"But the communiqués…Operations…"

"Not your concern."

"I know that the Section comes first – _both_ of you taught me that." Charlotte looked down at her hands and then up at Madeline. "But it's him."

"Charlotte, this does not concern you," she repeated. "I am handling it."

"How?"

"Charlotte."

"Right." Charlotte knew she should leave, but she could not will herself to do so.

"You should go back to work." Madeline looked at her expectantly. "Review the profile in systems and then go Comm. and assist with tactical oversight as usual. This isn't different than any other mission"

"Right." She rose from her seat and silently left the office.

* * *

"Do you know about Charles Sand?"

Nikita's casual question surprised Walter. One minute he was telling her about the new optics on the scope of her weapon and the next she was talking about Section history. Glancing around, he asked, "Who told you about him?"

"He's Madeline's husband, isn't he?"

"Was," he said firmly. "He's dead – he was killed during a mission."

"He's alive."

Shock registered on his face. "What are you talking about."

"He works with Goellner," Nikita explained softly. "Operations wants him dead and Madeline wants me to bring him back alive."

"Are you telling me that you have separate confidences with both of them?"

"Yes."

"Oh boy!"

Before he could say more, Operations called Nikita away and Walter watched their conversation with concern. The blond operative had no idea the gravity of the situation she found herself in. She wasn't just stuck between the opposing orders of her superiors – she was in the middle of the tangled web of the past.

A/N: So what'd you think? The next chapter will further unfold the back story of Charlotte…bum, bum, BUM! Review please!


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